Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute (HWI), an international leader in structural biology research, announced today that Tod A. Kniazuk has joined the Institute to work on donor relations.

“The philanthropy of Helen Woodward Rivas established the Institute in 1956, and over 60 years later, the generosity of our community still permits us to probe new areas that ultimately result in innovation and discoveries and Federal grant funds coming to our region. We are thrilled to have Tod join HWI and bring his experience to work with our closest friends and donors and continue this tradition,” commented HWI CEO Edward Snell, PhD.

Kniazuk has specialized in nonprofit leadership and development, most recently as the founding executive director of the regional arts council Arts Services Initiative of Western New York (ASI), where he was named one of the nation’s top local arts agency leaders by the national Americans for the Arts organization, and where he served on local, state, and national organizations and efforts representing the region. He has also been the executive director of the Niagara Erie Regional Coalition and Music is Art, and worked at the University at Buffalo Regional Institute and Erie County Legislature. Kniazuk will continue to also serve as a nonprofit
consultant in addition to his work at HWI, as well as continuing to serve on the boards of Leadership Niagara and Jazz Buffalo.

“I’ve spent my entire career working to make Buffalo and Western New York a better and more equitable place, so I’m excited to join the HWI team and be part of the medical campus and its key role in building the ‘New Buffalo’,” said Kniazuk. “I’m eager to let more people know about the essential role HWI plays in advancing medical research and especially the fact that we release this research for free into the world so that new treatments can be built off of our work.”

Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute’s work improves human health by studying the causes of diseases, as well as potential therapies, at their basic molecular level. HWI is a founding member of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, and resides in a state-of-the-art research facility at 700 Ellicott Street. For more information, visit hwi.buffalo.edu.